BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins (1-2) should feel their backs against the wall ahead of Sunday afternoon's Game 4 inside TD Garden.
The Buffalo Sabres (2-1), meanwhile, would have to feel good after they played their most complete game of the series in Game 3.
The Sabres won that game 3-1, taking control of the game at 5-on-5 for large stretches.
Buffalo's man advantage continues to haunt them. They're 0-for-14 in the series, yet still lead 2-1.
Boston's inability to shut down Buffalo at evens is a big reason they're down in the series.
After Game 3's ineffective loss, Boston Head Coach Marco Sturm will make two big lineup changes for Sunday's game.
Sturm is scratching James Hagens and Mason Lohrei, with the latter being a shocking decision.
For Hagens, Sturm will insert Lukas Reichel, who has immense speed and skill and brings a bit more strength to the table than Hagens.
Meanwhile, Jordan Harris will play in his ninth NHL game of the season, and just the third since October ended. It's a gigantic opportunity for the Haverhill native, skating alongside Hampus Lindholm in Game 4, a game that very much has a do-or-die type feel to it.
With the changes locked in, the Bruins can turn their attention to what they need to fix most: more traffic in front of Alex Lyon.
The Bruins simply need to make Lyon's life miserable on Sunday, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Every game this series, Buffalo's hounded Jeremy Swayman, constantly hacking and taking every available liberty with the Boston netminder.
It's time for Boston to do the same.
The Bruins know this, too.
"We can do a much better job making it hard for the goalie and getting more pucks to the net," David Pastrnak said postgame Thursday.
"[It was] just another tight checking game," Pastrnak continued. "Obviously, we had opportunities to tie it or extend the lead, and unfortunately, we didn't. We need to be better. Every game has been tight checking, and today they came out on top of it, so we have to be better."
The Bruins, after two days off, get their chance at redemption on Sunday afternoon.
The puck drops just after 2 o'clock for an afternoon matinée.
Jeremy Swayman & Alex Lyon will be the starting goalies.